Liverpool saw their remaining World Cup contingent halved on Friday as six international Reds actively competing in Qatar dropped to three in the first round of quarter-finals.
Alisson Becker and Virgil van Dijk were both unable to stop Brazil and the Netherlands exiting the tournament as they lost penalty shootouts to Croatia and Argentina respectively. With Fabinho also eliminated after remaining an unused substitute for Selecao, it leaves Ibrahima Konate or Jordan Henderson and Trent Alexander-Arnold as Liverpool’s last men standing, depending on the outcome of England’s own quarter-final clash with France.
Having seen Mohamed Salah ’s form drop following his own mid-campaign international exploits last season, twice suffering penalty shootout heartache with Egypt as they first lost to Senegal in the Africa Cup of Nations final before failing to qualify for the World Cup at the hands of the same opponents, Jurgen Klopp will be hoping his defensive linchpins are at least able to avoid a World Cup hangover.
READ MORE: Jamie Carragher sends message to Richarlison after Brazil knocked out of World Cup
READ MORE: 'I don't care' - Virgil van Dijk issues blunt World Cup verdict after penalty shootout nightmare
It’s understandable why such disappointment, and in quick-succession, could have taken its toll on Salah. Tasked with taking Egypt's fifth penalty in the Africa Cup of Nations final, earlier shootout misses meant Sadio Mane had already secured continental glory for Senegal before Liverpool ’s Egyptian King even had a chance to step up.
Meanwhile, Salah avoided a repeat a month later when he went first in Egypt’s World Cup qualifying clash with Senegal. Yet, blinded by green laser pointers, he would sky his effort as Mane again stepped up to convert the decisive kick and secure victory for the Lions of Teranga.
A rare sight for Liverpool fans at least, considering the forward has scored 24 of his 27 penalties for the Reds, and also successfully stepped up when shootouts were required to decide the League Cup final, the European Super Cup and two Community Shields. At least time is a great healer.
But like Salah, Alisson and Van Dijk could be forgiven if they feel some level of responsibility for their own international failings and take such losses to heart. After all, the Brazilian failed to save any of Croatia’s four penalties, while the Dutchman saw Emiliano Martinez keep out his opening effort.
While Reds fans will sympathise with the pair, as they did with Salah earlier this year, a clear thought comes to mind after their international exits. "Rather them than Liverpool.”
Both stepped up when it mattered for Klopp’s men in shootouts last season, with Van Dijk finishing emphatically when taking the Reds’ third spot-kick in their mammoth victory over Chelsea in the League Cup final. Meanwhile, Alisson was the hero at Wembley for the FA Cup final against the same opposition three months later, saving Mason Mount’s penalty before Kostas Tsimikas converted to clinch a domestic cup double.
In truth, the Brazilian has a mixed record when it comes to facing penalties during his Anfield career. That save from Mount was the first time he had actually directly made a shootout save, at the 17th time of asking, with a Cesar Azpilicueta miss earlier in the same shootout the only previous spot-kick that had failed to hit the back of the net.
Meanwhile, Alisson has saved just three of the non-shootout 15 penalties he has faced for Liverpool. To put that into context, Caoimhin Kelleher saved three alone in the penalty shootout victory over Derby County last month. Yet the Brazilian has also only actually conceded seven of the 13 penalties (54%) he has faced in the Premier League (two saved, four off target), with his percentage the lowest of any goalkeeper to face at least ten spot-kicks in the competition’s history. So is your glass half full or half empty?
Either way, Jamie Carragher said it best in his 2008 autobiography when reflecting on his own penalty shootout miss for England at the 2006 World Cup - “At least it wasn’t Liverpool.”
“I didn’t feel the same emptiness I sensed in others,” he wrote. “There's no such concept as 'only England' to most footballers, including many of my best friends.
“Representing your country is the ultimate honour, especially in the World Cup. Not to me. Did I care we'd gone out of the tournament? Of course I did. Passionately. Did I feel upset about my part in the defeat? Yes. I was devastated to miss a penalty of such importance. Had I really given my all for my country? Without question.
“Despite this, whenever I returned home from disappointing England experiences one unshakeable, overriding thought pushed itself to the forefront of my mind, no matter how much the rest of the nation mourned. "At least it wasn't Liverpool," I'd repeat to myself, over and over.
“I confess: defeats wearing an England shirt never hurt me in the same way as losing with my club. I wasn't uncaring or indifferent, I simply didn't put England's fortunes at the top of my priority list. Losing felt like a disappointment rather than a calamity.
“The Liver Bird mauled the Three Lions in the fight for my loyalties. I'm not saying that's right or wrong, it's just how it is. You can't make yourself feel more passionate if the feelings aren't there. That doesn't make me feel guilty. If people want to condemn me and say I'm unpatriotic, so be it.”
Meanwhile, after receiving a commiseratory text from Reds legend Kenny Dalglish after his penalty miss, he replied: “I would rather miss for England than LFC.”
Now of course, Alisson and Van Dijk’s own feelings regarding international football are likely to be very different to Carragher’s from his career. Both are first-choice for their countries while the defender was never more than a squad player for a start.
Meanwhile, Alisson won the Copa America in 2019 and was a runner-up in 2021. With Brazil desperate to win a sixth World Cup, their shock exit will certainly sting. As for Van Dijk, having missed out on captaining his country at Euro 2020 because of injury, his first major international tournament will have meant that much more to him.
Such heartache will hurt and both now need to channel such disappointment into something positive by adding to their Anfield honours. And as much as the Reds will sympathise with the pair, the underlying, brutal view will remain the same as they look to chase down further silverware.
At least it wasn’t Liverpool.
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